Process for the preparation of explosive charges by means of liquid oxygen or air



Dec. 15, 1925 PROCESS FOR THE PREPARATION OF EXPLOSIVE CHARGES BY M Dec. l5, 1925' 1,565,766

G WEBER PROCESS FOR THE PREPARATION OIF EXPLOSIVE CHARGES BY MEANS OF LIQUID OXYGEN OR AIR Filed Oct. ll. 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Dec. 15, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENTk OFFICE.

GUILLAUME WEBER, OF HAYAN GE, FRANCE, ASSIGNOR TO THE SOCIT: LES PETITS FILS DE FRANQOIS DE WENDEL & CIE., OF HAYANGE, MOSELLE, FRANCE.

PROCESS FOR THE PREPARATION 0F EXPLOSIVE CHARGES BY MEANS OF. LIQUID OXYGEN lOB. AIB.

Application led October 11, 1923. Serial No. 667,894.

To all lwhom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GUILLAUME WEBER, citizen of the French Republic, residin at Hayange, Moselle, in the French Repu lic, have invented new and useful Improvements in Processes for the Preparation of Explosive Charges by Means of Liquid Oxygen or Air, of which the following is a specication.

Explosive charges have been prepared hitherto by placing in the mine holes or chambers, cartridges of suitable com osition, preliminarily impregnated with liquid `air or oxygen by immersion in a suitable vessel. The ex losives, containing liquid air or oxygen, tiius prepared, give Very appreciable results when they are used in normal firing conditions, that is to say when the time elapsing between the removal of the cartridge from the immersion vessel and the moment of the ex losion does not exceed a certain limit, whic is a maximum of 15 to 20 minutes.

But as soon as it is necessary, to fire a great number of mines at a time or to remove masses with more orl less considerable charges requiring a long pre aration, the liquid air `or oxygen may not e sufliciently retained b the cartridges, so that in these new eondltions thev explosives containing liquid air or ox gen can no longer be used with the same chances of success.

The object of the present invention is a process for the preparation of explosive charges containing liquid air or oxygen, one feature whereof resides in the use of tight tubes or receptacles which are placed into the mine holes or chambers; the materials composing the charge are placed in said tight tubes or receptacles and are impregnated with liquid air or oxygen, either at theA exterior or only after having been placed in position, or partly at the exterior and partly at the interior.

In this manner the use of dipping vessels is wholl or partially su pressed and loss of liquidl air on oxygen, y evaporation in contact with the wall of the mine hole, or chamber and by leakage throughv holes or fissures in the rock, is obviated'; all danger during the preparation ofthe charge, when th@ lat??? is impregnated with liquid.. air or oxygen exclusively within the mine hole or chamber, is also suppressed.

In the appended drawings which are given by way of example:

Figs. 1, 2 and 3 show` respectively in vermine chambers charged in accordance with said process.

In the mine hole a (Figs. 1, 2 and 3) is placed a tight tube of suitable strength made of a combustible or metallic substance; this tube has a sin le wall such as the tube b (Figs. 1 and 3 or comprises several envelopes such as the tube ,b (Fi 2), Vacuum being made between the enve opes, or any other means of protection being used against the entrance of outer heat.

The empty space between the tube b (or b) and the wall of the mine hole a'is preferably filled with an insulating, combustible or inert substance c such as sawdust, or wood or cork flour, peat, infusorial earth etc.

The combustible or inert substances d used to prepare the ex lesive, such as carbon, soot, sawdust, woo or cork flour, peat, metallic owders, hydrocarbons, oils, sulphur, in usorialearth etc. may be placed mto the tube or receptacle in their original state and without any other protection than a small amount of cotton, wool etc. or wire gauze, at the utp er part at el', according to the diagram o Fig. 1. According to Figs. 2 and 3 such substances may also be contained in cartridges e; these are preferably provided with a central duct f to facilitate the subsequent impregnation with liquid air or oxygen. A like duct is also preferably provided in the mass of the charge illustrated in Fig. 1.

The combustible or inert substances entering into the composition of the charge may be distributedI in the propel'- mannerl along the tube, so as to obtain the maximum effeet at the desired point. Fig. 3 shows dlagrammatically an arrangement of this kind comprising a plug of inert Substance g placed between the cartridges e. The cartridges having the most explosive effect are usually placed at the bottom of the tube.

In Fi s. 4 and 5 the same reference letters indicate parts corresponding to those of Fig. 3; at the upper part of Fig.r5, the receptacle b is rov1ded with a number of envelopes containing, unchanged, the subthe cartridges e by liquid air or oxygen,"

after putting said charge or cartridges in place in the tubeY or receptacle b (or b) is carried out by simply pouring, and if necessary, by means of a funnel, this liquid air or oxygen upon the mass or the cartridges. If the impregnation is eii'ected at the outside,'the addition of the liquid air or oxygen to maintain the charge in a good state of saturation, is carried out preferably in a gradual manner according as it is absorbed bythe mass. l In this manner one can charge at onetime a great number of holes of large or small diameter, and having a length which may be of several tens of metres.

The stopping up is done usually in the last place, by the use of plugs of Wadding, loose earth, or' sand h, or even with water. If the wadding forms a very compact mass,

a conduit may be provided through thev same for the evacuation of vapours given off within the tight tube and-which cannot escape through the fissures in the rock.

The firing is performed'at will by electricity, by fuse or byC detonating cord; in Figs. 1, 2, 4 and 5 is shown a device for firing by electricity, a protected detonator i belng disposed in contact with the mass (l (Figs. l and 5) or in a cartridge e (Figs. 2, 4 and 5). In case of use of a fuse,the latter is lighted in the same manner;-1"ig. 3 shows a device for effecting the explosion by means of a dctonating cord/Tc; Z is the detonator and m the usual ignting fuse; this ignition may be also effected by means of electricity.

Having now described my invention what I claim as new` and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: y

1. The process for preparing explosive charges containing liqgld oxygen or air according to which tig receptacles are first inserted into the mine holes and the mate'- rials constituting the charge are then placed -in said receptacles, said materials being saturated with liquid oxygen or air.

2. The process for preparing explosive charges containing liquid oxygen or air according to which tight tubes made of an insulatingsubstance are first inserted into the mine holes and the materials constituting the charge are then placed in said tubes, said materials being saturated with liquid oxygen or air.

3. The process for preparing explosive charges containing liquid oxygen or air according to which tight tubes are first inserted into the mine holes, each of said tubes being composed of several envelopes insulated from each other, the materials constituting thecharge being then placed in said tube, said materials being saturated with liquid oxygen or air. l l

4. The process for preparing explosive charges containing liquid oxygen or air according to which tight tubes are rst inserted into the mine holes, each of said tubes beinglcomposed of several envelopes between whic vacuum 'is made, the materials constituting the charge being then placed in said tube, said materials being saturated with liquid oxygenA or air.

5. The process for preparing explosive charges containing liquid oxygenor air according to which tight receptacles are irst inserted into the mine holes and the materials constituting the charge are then placed in said receptacles, said materials being saturated with liquid oxygen or air, and the space between said receptacles and the wall of the mine holes being lled with an insulating material.-

6. The process for preparing explosive charges containing liqlllid oxygen or air according to which tig t receptacles are inserted into the mine holes and the materials constituting the charge are contained in a plurality of separate cartridges which are placed in said receptacles, said materials being saturated with liquid oxygen 0r a1r.

7 The process for preparing explosive charges containing 1i uid oxygen or air according to which tig t receptacles are in serted into the mine holes and the materials constituting thechargc are contained in a plurality of separate cartridges which are placed in said receptacles, plugs of inert substance being interposed between said cartridges, said materials being saturated with liquid oxygen or air.

' 8. The process for preparing explosive ,charges containing liquid oxygen or air according to which tight receptacles are first inserted into the mine holes and the materials constituting the charge are then placed in said rece tacles, a central duct ben' provided in eacili mine hole throu h the c arge, and liquid ox gen or air ing poured through said uct for impregnating said materials.

9. The process for preparing explosive charges containing liquid oxygen or air acthe mine holes being then filled up with a cording to which tight receptacles are first plug of suitable material and an u per duct 10 inserted into the mine holes and the mateextending through said plug an opening rials constitutin the charge are then placed into the exterior.

in said reeeptac es, a central duct bein pro- In testimony whereof I have signed my vided in each mine hole through the c arge, name to this specification.

liquid oxygen or air being poured thrmh said duct for impregnating said materi 8,' GUILLAUME WEBER. 

